Elderly Lives Matter®

Nursing homes flout federal staffing laws

On Behalf of | Jan 12, 2025 | Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

No one doubts there are staffing issues in some health care fields. According to data supplied to USA TODAY, at least a third of nursing homes and long-term care facilities for the elderly do not reach several of the federally mandated benchmarks required by the U.S. government. 

When it comes to your loved one’s care, those statistics should be alarming. Not even one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations should be suffering from neglect or abuse.

How do they get away with it?

The USA TODAY researchers discovered that our government is quite lax about enforcing its regulations and staffing guidelines. Nursing homes know they are unlikely to get cited, so they continue to understaff their facilities and place residents at risk.

Investigators learned that the best predictor of which nursing home facility’s residents will thrive in their environments are the facilities that have sufficient staffing of both nurse’s aides and nurses.

Consequences of understaffing

Residents of these facilities require a great deal of interaction. They need diaper changes and good hygiene practices, repositioning to avoid bed sores and spoon-fed to ensure they eat their meals and stay hydrated every day. 

When staffing is critically low, your loved one could struggle for nutrition, suffer from UTIs with symptoms that can mimic dementia or even be assaulted by another resident or staff.

Listen to your loved one

Ask them if they receive their medicine regularly and get bathed several times a week. Note the number of staff present when you visit. See how long it takes for someone to respond to a call button.

If your loved one suffers a worsened condition from neglect due to understaffing at their health care facility, you may be able to pursue civil justice.

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